Described herein are methods of controlling gloss of an image through control of the atmosphere during curing of a radiation curable ink and/or overcoat.
The gloss control method herein provides several advantages, including permitting the gloss of the image to be controlled in a straightforward manner, and possibly without the need for use of different compositions to achieve different gloss levels. Other advantages will be apparent from the description herein.
Many printing applications requiring variable gloss levels, such as photo publishing, are experiencing tremendous growth. As a result, the ability to control printed gloss levels is desirable. However, current printer products typically produce a generally narrow range of gloss, and the gloss level (matte, semi-gloss, gloss) is typically not adjustable by the customer.
In co-pending application Ser. No. 12/144,233 (entitled “Method of Controlling Gloss in UV Curable Overcoat Compositions,” Jennifer L. Belelie et. al.) described is a method of controlling gloss of an image by adjusting the amount of curable wax in the composition and/or by adjusting the amount of overcoat composition to apply.
What is still desired is an improved method of controlling the gloss of an image when using a radiation curable ink and/or overcoat composition, both capable of being digitally applied.